Moxie Pest Control

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Stinging/Biting

Wasps, Fleas, Ticks, Centipedes.

Wasps

Frequently these pests build hanging honeycomb-shaped nests from eaves, overhangs, and tree branches. Colors and sizes differ among species. They are territorial and extremely aggressive. Generally, many wasp stings are more painful than bee or scorpion stings. Mud Daubers These tiny insects don't sting but they can be a nuisance nonetheless. Mud daubers construct nests comprised of mud tubes high on walls and under overhangs to protect their larvae and food storage.

Fleas

Fleas feed on blood and live on furry animals such as dogs and cats. They are very tiny and can spread disease, similar to ticks. They are most commonly carried into the home by pets.

Ticks

Adults can live over one year without eating. Ticks generally live on animals, carrying disease. They feed on blood and their colors and sizes vary with different species.

Centipedes

There are many different species varying in size and color. Each body segment has a pair of legs, anywhere from ten to one hundred segments. Centipedes seek out damp environments. They are just as content outside, under a rock or leaves, as they are in a damp basement. Centipedes feed on insects and spiders. They have large jaws and can bite humans, with a sting comparable to a bee.

Occasional Invaders

Earwigs, House Crickets, Silverfish, Millipedes, Sowbugs/Pillbugs.

Earwigs

Earwigs are unsightly and can be serious garden pests. They have amber bodies with yellow legs, and sometimes head indoors after rains. Often called pincher bugs, they primarily eat decaying matter but do not pinch.

House Crickets

Yellowish-brown and about one-inch long, house crickets are heard more often than they are seen. They create a distinctive chirping sound, especially in the dark. They are happy to be outside but will stray toward warm interiors. They can chew just about anything from carpets to clothing, and can bite if captured.

Silverfish

These pests like to eat paper, glue, starch, and textiles. Silverfish will feed on wall paper, and are often found in books or cardboard packaging. They are nocturnal and flee from light. They are silvery-white, cone shaped and ¾- to ½-inch long.

Millipedes

Their bodies are dark and tubular, but vary in color and size from a half inch to 12-inches in more exotic locales. Millipedes have two legs per segment. They live in moist soils, usually covered by plants, rocks, or leaves, and eat decaying organic matter.

Sowbugs/Pillbugs

Sometimes called “roly-polies” or “potato-bugs,” they are dark segmented critters about ¾-inch long. They feed on decaying plant matter and live in damp areas. They prefer to be underneath the cover of leaves or rocks, but can also be found under boxes in damp, ground level basements or storage rooms.

Ants

Argentine, Fire, Odorous, Pavement, Pharaoh, Thief.

Argentine Ant

The Argentine ant is one of the most common species in the country. It is brown in color and is primarily a sweet eater. It is one of the most difficult ants to control because it has a tendency to set up multiple satellite colonies to ensure domination over a greater area. You can find these ants crawling around electrical outlets, kitchen counters and bathroom ceilings at any time of the year.

Fire Ant

Aggressive and venomous, fire ants will bite predators multiple times and can kill small wildlife or domestic animals. They can also eat through rubber wire insulation. When these guys bite, it hurts! They are ¼-inch long and a dark-reddish color. Fire ants typically build mounds of earth in the yard.

Odorous Ant

These ants stink when you step on them. Odorous ants are brownish-red and about 1/10-inch long. They build colonies under rocks and inside walls. Each female can lay one egg per day and they can live several years.

Pavement Ant

These ants will sometimes live in the harborage of larger ants, feeding on their hosts' young. They are approximately 1/10-inch long and brown. They nest in sidewalk cracks, along curbs, under rocks, under floors, or in walls.

Pharaoh Ant

Only 1/16-inch, these tiny golden-amber ants require a warm climate to survive. They hide their nests in well protected areas such as wall voids. A single colony can support several million worker ants.

Thief Ant

These tiny ants sometimes go undetected for weeks. They earn their title by feeding off the larvae of other ant species. Commonly seen around the kitchen sink or pantry, they also feed on cheeses, greasy foods, and meats.

Spiders

House, Brown Recluse, Black Widow, Wolf, Garden.

House Spider

The house spider is about 3/8-inch long with a brownish body. They have a round abdomen with darker markings and spin silky webs around prey. They select web locations at random and if the location does not ensnare prey, they will abandon it and find a new place for construction.

Brown Recluse

Spider Their bites can be hazardous to humans. The venomous brown recluse, with a dark brown fiddle-shaped marking is about ½-inch long. They feed upon soft bodied insects and hunt their prey at night. At sun-up they drag their food to spin irregular off-white webs in dark secluded areas. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately.

Black Widow

Spider Female black widows are about ½-inch long, and black with a red hourglass marking on their underside. Their bites are toxic and humans can have a severe allergic reaction. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately.

Wolf Spider

They're large, brown, and hairy ranging from ½-inch to 2-inches in length. They look much scarier than they actually are. Wolf spiders aren't typically associated with webs. Inside homes they often hang out near windows, doors, house plants, or storage areas.

Garden Spider

These spiders spin expansive, elaborate organized flat orb webs. They can get big, with bodies 1½-inches long, covered with colorful markings, and even longer legs. As their name suggests, garden spiders often live in gardens, trapping flies in their intricate webs. They also frequently engineer webs attached to fences or exterior walls.

Cockroaches

German, Oriental, American, Brown-Banded, Smoky-Brown.

German Cockroaches

About the same size as brown-banded roaches, the German cockroaches have two brown stripes running the length of their wings. Because they love fermented foods, they are regularly found in unsanitary kitchen or bathroom conditions.

Oriental Cockroaches

Dark brown and about one-inch long, oriental cockroaches seek out warm damp areas indoors. They flourish in basements and storage areas where they can stay close to the ground. They eat decaying organic matter and prefer starches.

American Cockroaches

Usually between 1- to 1½-inches long with reddish-brown wings, American cockroaches like to fly outside. They are scavengers with a special taste for warm damp places, water and alcoholic beverages. They like to eat decaying organic matter.

Brown-Banded Cockroaches

Often mistaken for German cockroaches, brown-banded roaches have golden stripes across their wings. These roaches are normally a little over a half-inch long and prefer to live in dry environments. Many of them like to set up shop inside of furniture and walls, feeding on starches.

Smokey-Brown Cockroaches

Generally over 1-inch long at maturity, Smokey-brown cockroaches live outside feeding primarily on plant matter. In flight at night, they fly toward sources of light.

Rodents

Mice, Rats.

Mice

Mice are generally much smaller than rats. Proportionally they have smaller ears and smaller hind legs. Mice can squeeze through holes slightly larger than a pencil eraser. They commonly slip in through open doors, attics or foundation vents.

Rats

Both the Roof rat and Norway rat are the most common rodents in the United States. Rats are larger than mice and have proportionally smaller ears and bigger hind feet. Juvenile rats are distinguished from adult mice by their larger feet, head, and tail. They can gnaw through furniture and electrical wires, and carry infectious diseases.

Shiny white larvae eat and destroy fabrics and furs. The adults are white, about a half inch long, and flee from light. All wool and fur clothing will need to be dry-cleaned before treatment.

Termites

Signs of Termites

Often termite damage goes unnoticed until it is too late. In fact, termites are generally found feeding on your home hidden from view. The most common signs of termites are their sawdust-like droppings (called “frass”), discarded wings, or mud tubes leading from the ground up the side of the foundation. Other visible signs on the home may include cracked or bubbling paint, and wood construction that sounds hollow when tapped. Waiting for termite damage to manifest itself can be very costly to the homeowner. Because homeowners insurance does not typically cover termite damage, it is imperative to receive an annual inspection by a licensed inspector you can trust.

What we can do to protect you!

Moxie offers a variety of advanced treatment methods to control and eliminate termite colonies in and around your home. To help determine which treatment method is right for you, Moxie will take into account features such as your home's construction, configuration, and environment. Rest-assured your Moxie professional will prescribe the options best-suited for your home, family, and lifestyle.